Thursday, February 11, 2010

Cleaning Windows that are peeling paint and full of mildew?

I recently moved back into my 1905 Craftsman bungalow after renting it the past 3 years. The windows are from 1905 and the paint is peeling off and their are spots of mildew on them. I took one of those Mr. Clean magic erasures to it and got the mildew off where the paint was strong and took off the paint that was flaking off. Should I strip off the paint, but then what. help!Cleaning Windows that are peeling paint and full of mildew?
Nothing kills mildew better than bleach. You will have to rinse after you bleach or the bleach can interfere with adhesion. Let it dry for a few days, then scrape off the loose paint and sand it all smooth.





I read the other posts and, DO NOT USE A POWER-WASHER YOUR WINDOWS. Water is the most destructive force on most houses, and aiming a power-washer at your windows will most certainly blow water into the house, and that's bad. Power-washers are not the best for prepping for paint anyway. The pressure necessary to remove paint will blast out all the soft grain and cause more damage. Either use a scraper, or attach a Power Stripper to your drill.





Once the window is sanded, you will need to prime it with an exterior primer. If it's a soft wood, use an alkyd primer, which will penetrate and give better adhesion. Being a 1905 house, the wood is most likely hard, so use an alkyd modified latex primer. You might have to call around to find one. Most paint stores will claim to have no idea what you're talking about.





Top coat with a high quality Latex paint. Check with Consumer Reports to find the best. They do an excellent job of testing paintsCleaning Windows that are peeling paint and full of mildew?
If you have access to a pressure washer with a detergent cup then pressure wash your windows with bleach, give them a couple of days to dry then recaulk them and paint. This way is a lot faster than the old scraping routine and does a better job of removing loose paint.
Strip the paint off the windows, clean them well with a mild bleach solution, treat them with a product called Kilz. Then re-paint them. That should solve the current problem and help keep it from coming back.
I assume the mildew you refer to is on the wood? If so, just regular bleach will kill the mildew, let completely dry.


It is hard to say about the paint, for you don't mention if the wood has or has not splintered.


If the wood is not splintered, or termite infested, then I would gently scrape it off, then apply a good wood sealer, a good primer and then a quality paint.


Do not spare expense on this project if it is the original wood. It will be beautiful once it is done correctly the first time.


If the glass has mildew, again the bleach should be just fine, but I would dilute it down with some water a bit. I am concerned it may yellow the glass. In addition, the glass should be one solid piece, and mildew would make me a bit concerned that the glass may have fractured somewhere. I would consider having a glazier give it a look over, just in case. It would be worth it. But find someone who knows about the old glass as it is very different composition as today's glass, less chemicals....


I love the old homes like yours and the Victorian styles. I have exampled my own home, retaining the beautiful craftsmanship and character of the older home. I have spent the last 20 yrs carefully tending to my own beauty, and tho the cost may be a bit more than the average, it will be worth every dime when you are done.





Have fun!!

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